How to Choose the Best Hair Color for Your Skin Tone

Hair Color to Match Your Skin Tone – The Ultimate Guide

Choosing the perfect hair color isn’t just about picking your favorite shade—it’s about finding a color that complements your skin tone, undertone, and natural features. The right shade can enhance your complexion, make your eyes pop, and give you a radiant, polished look. However, choosing the wrong color can leave you looking washed out or unnatural. So, how do you know what hair color suits you best? The key is to match your hair color to your skin undertone, ensuring that the shades work harmoniously with your complexion.

This guide will walk you through how to choose the right hair color based on your cool, warm, or neutral skin tone. You'll also find a helpful hair color chart to make the decision even easier. Whether you're looking for a subtle change or a bold transformation, this expert breakdown will help you find the most flattering hair color for your skin tone. Make sure to do this before booking your color appointment! If you're still not sure what color will suite you consult with a beauty expert like Justine!

How to Know What Hair Color Suits You

Before selecting a new hair color, it's essential to understand your natural coloring. Your skin undertone, eye color, and natural hair pigment all play a role in determining which shades will suit you best. Many people assume that fair skin means cool undertones or that dark skin automatically means warm undertones, but that’s not always the case.

The best way to determine what hair color suits you is by analyzing your skin undertone, which falls into three categories: cool, warm, and neutral. If you choose a hair color that aligns with your undertone, it will enhance your natural beauty rather than clash with it. Let’s break it down.

Understanding Skin Undertones

Your skin undertone is the subtle hue beneath your skin's surface that affects how colors interact with your complexion. It's different from your surface skin tone (which can be light, medium, or dark). Here’s how to determine your undertone and find the most flattering hair color.

How to Determine Your Undertone

Cool Undertones

• Your skin has pink, red, or blueish hues.

• Your veins appear blue or purple under natural light.

• Silver jewelry flatters you more than gold.

• You tend to burn easily in the sun rather than tan.

Warm Undertones

• Your skin has golden, yellow, or peachy hues.

• Your veins appear green under natural light.

• Gold jewelry looks better on you than silver.

• Your skin tans easily in the sun.

Neutral Undertones

• Your skin has a mix of warm and cool tones.

• Your veins appear blue-green or aren’t very noticeable.

• Both gold and silver jewelry look good on you.

• Your skin can burn or tan, depending on the season.

If you’re still unsure, try the paper test—hold a white sheet of paper next to your face. If your skin looks rosy or bluish, you have a cool undertone. If it appears yellow or golden, you have a warm undertone. If you can’t tell, you’re likely neutral.

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Hair Colors for Your Skin Tone Chart

Now that you’ve identified your undertone, let’s explore the best hair colors to enhance your natural beauty.

Hair Color for Cool Skin Tone

If you have a cool skin tone, the best hair colors will balance out red or pink hues while creating a striking contrast. Avoid warm, golden tones, which can make your skin appear flushed.

Best Hair Colors for Cool Skin Tones

• Blondes: Platinum, ash blonde, pearl blonde

• Browns: Cool brown, espresso, mocha

• Reds: Burgundy, deep cherry, violet-red

• Black: Jet black, blue-black

Hair Colors to Avoid for Cool Skin Tones

• Honey blondes

• Copper or golden reds

• Warm chestnut browns

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Hair Color for Warm Skin Tone

If you have a warm skin tone, hair colors with golden, caramel, or warm brown undertones will enhance your glow. Avoid ashy or platinum shades that can make your skin look dull.

Best Hair Colors for Warm Skin Tones

• Blondes: Honey blonde, golden blonde, butterscotch

• Browns: Caramel, chestnut, chocolate brown

• Reds: Auburn, copper, golden red

• Black: Warm brown-black

Hair Colors to Avoid for Warm Skin Tones

• Cool ash blondes

• Blue-toned blacks

• Overly platinum shades

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Choosing a Hair Color for My Skin Tone – Step-by-Step Guide

Step 1 – Determine Your Skin Undertone

Use the vein test, jewelry test, or paper test to confirm whether you have cool, warm, or neutral undertones.

Step 2 – Consider Your Eye Color

Certain hair colors complement specific eye colors:

• Blue/Green Eyes: Best with cool blondes, cool browns, and cool reds.

• Brown Eyes: Best with warm browns, caramel, golden blondes.

• Hazel Eyes: Best with a mix of warm and cool tones.

Step 3 – Choose a Maintenance Level

• Low-maintenance: Balayage, ombré, close-to-natural shades.

• Medium-maintenance: Rooted blondes, deep brunettes.

• High-maintenance: Platinum blonde, bold reds, jet black.

Step 4 – Test Before Committing

Try a semi-permanent dye or use a virtual hair color tool before making a drastic change.

Final Thoughts on Choosing a Hair Color to Match Your Skin Tone

Picking the right hair color for your skin tone is essential for a flattering and confident look. Whether you have a cool, warm, or neutral undertone, there’s a perfect shade for you. By considering your undertones, eye color, and maintenance preferences, you can achieve a natural, harmonious hair color that enhances your beauty.

Hair Color Chart for Skin Tones

If you have…	You should go for…
Light skin with cool undertones	A striking cool, icy platinum blonde or ashy hue beautifully complements this type of complexion. You could also try cool shades of purple and red for something darker. Ideally, you want to avoid yellow or brassy hues if you have pale skin and cool undertones. These shades can make your skin look dull - and we don't want that!
Light skin with warm undertones	Those with naturally light hair and fair skin against warm undertones are best suited to warm blonde hair colors — like honey and golden hues — to complement the warmth in your skin. Anyone with this complexion and naturally darker hair look great with warm brunette shades like silky chocolate brown, caramel brown, and golden brown.
Light skin with neutral undertones	Cool tones in a darker shade will suit a medium complexion with cool undertones to perfection! Rich brunettes and darker blonde shades will balance out any redness in your skin - and will complement your deep brown or blue eyes beautifully.
Medium skin with warm undertones	Get that tan poppin' with honey-brown hues, warm reds, or caramel colors that will look radiant against your warm, medium skin tone. Looking for something lighter? Avoid super light or platinum blonde and opt for a warm shade that will complement your bronzed complexion. Alternatively, try a balayage technique for a beautiful blend of warm colors.
Medium skin with neutral undertones	A neutral complexion paired with a medium skin tone can opt for warm or cool colors. A golden chestnut brown hair color or deep red hue is our color of choice for you - but there's truly a range of flattering colors you can try to make your skin glow. Why not explore our Color Gloss Up range to try something bright and bold?
Dark skin with cool undertones	You've probably picked up on a pattern now: cool undertones are best suited to cool hair colors. For cool, deeper skin colors, a cooler dark brown or black hair color is stylish, sophisticated and oh-so-flattering - especially if you already have naturally dark hair.
Dark skin with warm undertones	If you've got deep skin with warm undertones, you can play around with many warm hair colors - from honey-blonde hues to warm reds and golden brunette shades. If your hair is naturally dark, an ombre or balayage technique is an excellent choice to help enhance your golden undertones while keeping your dark roots natural.
Dark skin with neutral undertones	Darker skin tones with a neutral complexion can try anything from ashy tones to fiery reds and golden shades - though we recommend choosing a color that's close to your natural shade if you're only looking for a subtle lift.